Sea Shells By The Sea Shore
by Sonicscrewdriversinmiddleearth
Summary: Elrond and Elros have been living in Lindon for only a few long and forgetful years, not trusting anyone or getting close to anyone. They barely even leave the palace. A very young Gil-Galad feels bad and tries to show them around, feeling as if his attempts to befriend them are failing. ONE-SHOT! NO SLASH!


**Sea Shells By The Sea Shore**

 **A/N: Hey, this is my first actual fic! Yay I hope its not bad! I love Elrond and Elros! So I'm not trying to make little Elros the nasty one, he just has a freer spirit than Elrond does. I guess... But anyways it was inspired by my dad who told us stories of what he and his cousins used to do after church when they were little. Their grandmother and all the other family members went out to Puget Sound Seattle and had picnics. The tide would go out and the little children would go and scour the beaches for sea creatures and my dads cousins used to pick the baby jelly fish up and squish them for fun (because they didn't sting) and their grandmother would get really mad at them. So that's what inspired this. ENJOY!**

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The repetitive soft sounds of the graceful waves crashing onto the white shores of Lindon echoed gently through the salty, strong breeze of the dim and cold evening. Freezing wind howled unrelentingly on the vast waters and ghosted through the canopies of stately beech trees, causing their branches to rustle and shake in the salty gusts. The stinging wind swirled in circles and aggressively attacked the thin, graying clouds above, pushing them father and farther back in the sky and distorting the fading sun's rays of golden yellow light. As the sun fell further down onto the horizon, it darkened the once blue sky and turned the cerulean waves a murky dark green. The pure bubbling white foam of the deep, vast sea muttered soothingly in a bubbly and wet voice. It snapped and wheezed as it disappeared, evaporating back into the mouths of the water where it was first formed. The white fluffy bubbles of the ocean were savagely devoured by the darkening cold and unforgiving waters, disappearing without hope.

But despite its absence it kept coming back, reappearing each time the vast angry waves decided to forgo their restraint and meet the shore once again. It bubbled happily back into its liquid form as the dark water left the dim frozen land.

A cold, strong and crisp salty wind moved throughout the peaceful land, picking the void-like water up from its habitation and carrying it to meet the white shores. But as soon as the vast and tranquil earth cooled sufficiently, the wind could no longer fight the pulls of gravity and the tide slowly went out; leaving behind the sea life that used to dwell in it.

"Come!" A fairly young voice rang loudly, the excited and joyful sound shattering the sea's soothing lullaby. A tall young elf ran across the cold windy beach, black hair whipping violently around his face as he turned back to his followers. The salty air stung his silver eyes. "Come on!" He shouted again, stopping in his own footprints and beckoning to them to go faster. The cold winds did nothing to stay his progress but only filled him with a sense of adventure and a strong sense of longing. The longing was strange and could not be quenched. It was the feeling of being free.

"We're trying; we can only go so fast!" A high and youthful voice yelled back exasperatedly. Two smaller figures finally came into his view. They were very tiny, only young children that came up no taller than a little above an elf's knees. They looked virtually the same, all the way from their raven black hair to the details on their young rounded faces. The two took a few more stumbling steps forward, shallow, small footprints immediately filling with icy water and disappearing.

"We can't walk as fast as you!" The other one yelled up to him, pushing his little bare feet to go further as they slowly froze. The older twin beside him held his little brother's hand as they fought in the savage wind, trying as hard as they could to keep up with the older elf. Harsh salty and freezing wind assaulted their young faces, sending their coal black hair savagely back and away from their pink skin. The tall elf that was ahead of them sighed heavily and trudged back over the white crystal shores to reach the twins. Even though he was taller and heavier than the two small children, his footprints disappeared just as fast.

He smiled kindly at them as they tried as hard as they could to stay standing, leaning heavily on each other and squinting against the strong wind. The young and inexperienced king picked them both up, holding one in each arm.

"Gil-Galad, we can't fight the strong winds of Ossë like you can. You're so much bigger." The younger one on his right gasped tiredly, wrapping his small cold arms around the High King's neck. The older twin in his left arm scowled sternly at the Noldor in front of them. They were both freezing out in this weather, Gil-Galad did this on purpose. He was a full-blooded Noldor and they were half elves, not to mention they were just children!

It was hard to adjust to a whole new territory and climate after living so far from the sea when they were little. Not to mention they weren't that comfortable with the sea elves yet, having to get over the fact that Maglor and Maedhros had left them. Yes, they had lived by the sea before, but that was long ago. When their mother and father were still on Middle Earth. So this was King Gil-Galad's friendly attempt to get them adapted! To get them used to the land they once live in.

"If you wanted us to come, you should have known we would be swept away in the wind. And not to mention freeze!" The tiny dark-haired elfling huffed irritably as the wind whistled about them in strong salty gusts. He crossed his freezing arms around his small chest and glared up at the High king, making Gil-Galad laugh.

"Little Elros, I assure you I didn't know it was going to be this windy. But we need to make it to the edge of the sea before sunset," Gil-Galad explained gently, silver eyes watching the sun fall on the horizon. Elros didn't say anything else, but made himself comfortable in the king's arms as he began to walk against the wind. Elrond, trying his hardest to behave well enough for their approval, did not complain at all about his freezing body or the fact that he nearly tripped in the harsh wind. The last thing he wanted to do was lose another family member, even if they weren't actually his family. He and his twin had lost too much already. But soon, once they made their way down the crystal shoreline the wind began to die down, leaving the muttering and gurgling of the sea to be the only sound that was identifiable. The High King of the Noldor sighed with triumph when he reached his destination and he gently put the twins down.

It was beautiful, the cold watery tide going out until you couldn't see it. It left small little pools of water everywhere that held various species of sea creatures. The sun was sinking fast on the once light horizon, staining the sky above a strange orange and pink. The twins giggled in excitement at the scene, just waiting to take off onto the beach and play. Even though they couldn't remember much of their mother or the sea they used to live by, they had a sense that they belonged here.

"Now, didn't I say it would be amazing?" The Noldor asked matter-of-factly, quirking an eyebrow at the twins as he gestured to the vast, wide-open sandy planes. Elrond shrunk back with a small blush but Elros only glared. Rolling his eyes, Gil-Galad changed the subject, running nimbly to where the water met the shore and knelt by it.

"Watch this!" He shouted back to them and beckoned them over with a long fingered hand. A large blue-green tinted wave crawled noisily up onto the hovering shore, bubbling and reaching the king's youthful hands.

It plopped and swished and smoothly pulled itself back into the void blue sea, gurgling deeply. The white silky froth disappeared from the surface of the water with soft airy hisses. Another wild and foamy wave crashed onto the shore with a rich bubbly laugh, pulling itself back out once again.

When the twins arrived at his side, puffing and panting with red, flushed cheeks, they saw Gil-Galad with two handfuls of mud and a massive smile on his face. "Cool, we're going to play with mud!" Elros shouted happily, youthful voice echoing loudly on the shores. The childish sound hit the red and orange stained horizon and came bowling back to them in phantom echoes. Gil-Galad tilted his head in thought before smiling.

"Not exactly. Now watch." The High king hunched over the salty blue waves and scooped up more white mud in his pale hands, balling it into a fist and letting some dribble out the other end. The wet crystal sand slowly dried in the cold air and piled on top of each other, causing the base of a tower to be built in tiny swirling shapes. Elrond gasped in amazement with wide silver eyes and pink, flushed cheeks. Gil-Galad looked up and quirked a solid black eyebrow at him, holding out a hand and smiling knowingly.

"Come on, you know you want to," he said smugly, steel grey eyes shining with mirth. Elrond giggled and threw himself down beside the High King without hesitance, grabbing mud for himself and doing the same as he was showed earlier. After a moments hesitance, Elros flopped down beside them also, staring hard at the growing white tower. They worked on in silence for a while, though Gil-Galad could feel the unease that still sat with the older twin. When would they just relax?

"They're called Drip Castles." The High king notified them after a while as he piled more on top. Elrond's silver eyes widened at the title and the younger twin laughed, glancing up at the king with big innocent silver orbs.

"Why do you call them Drip Castles?"

"Because you take the mud and you let it drip until it makes a castle." The Noldor explained as best he could, balling his fist again and letting the white liquid slide out of his hand and onto the growing tower. He really wasn't that talented at explaining things to children.

"It's fun," Elrond said enthusiastically, watching as his older twin also dribbled some on top. Elros looked very hesitant as he added more, almost as if he was afraid to admit he liked it. The tower now came up to the sitting child's forehead and Elros had to stand up to put more on top. Elros stood on his tiptoes to dribble more.

"Who wants to go hunt sea creatures?" Gil-Galad asked suddenly, changing the subject as he felt the sudden tension between the twins growing. Elros instantly brightened up, jumping up from his seat and nearly knocking the tower down. He received a venomous glare from his younger brother as Elrond also rose to his feet.

"What kind of sea creatures?" Elros gushed, jumping up and down excitedly. He reached for the High King's hand, grabbing it and dancing around him with enthusiasm. Gil-Galad laughed and twisted his body around to keep from falling as the little elfling kept circling him.

"Jellyfish, crabs, sea slugs, conchs and many, many more!" He reached out and gently grabbed Elrond's tiny white hand, pulling them both away from the water's edge. Elrond and Elros stumbled along as they raced by the king's side, forcing their feet to go as fast as possible. Gil-Galad leapt nimbly over some driftwood, landing the wrong way and collapsing to the ground. He instantly let go of the twins' hands and went tumbling forward and out towards the water. Elrond and Elros gasped in shock and surprise, tiny hands flying to their mouths.

"Ha!" The High King guffawed when he stopped rolling, landing in a huge tangled pile of limbs. The older elf instantly fell into hysterical peals of insane laughter and he heaved himself up to his feet. The tall elf was covered from head to toe in pure white, glistening sand, naturally pale face caked in the course wet substance. He squinted hard in order to keep grains of sand from entering his eyes, brow furrowing. In less then two seconds the twins were by his side with concerned expressions.

"King Gil-Galad! Are you hurt?" Elrond asked worriedly with wide silver eyes that almost took on a watery tint. Elros, though he much rather not show it was equally worried. The dark haired Noldor slowly raised his hands to his face and scraped the sand off his eyes with a loud laugh.

"I'm perfectly fine," he reassured them easily with a light and airy chuckle; brushing the rest of his face off. Soon he could reopen his shining steel grey eyes and he saw the expression of doubt on their faces. "I'm fine, see?" He shrugged and turned slowly around three hundred and sixty degrees just to prove his point. Elrond finally nodded slowly and stepped back. For a moment everything was quiet, then Gil-Galad laughed again, startling the two children.

"Come on, over here!" With that the High King turned in the soft, yet course, sand and headed towards a semi-deep puddle. All along the white shimmering beach you could spot black and brown lumps sticking out of the bright sand. Some even moved. Elros was instantly intrigued and his small dark head darted about so fast he might have got a headache. In other small puddles he could see dark star shapes creeping along the bottoms. He nearly bumped into Gil-Galad as the Noldor gracefully bent over a crystal clear pool and peered in.

Inside the salty puddle there bounced and bolted many small white circular balls. They were slightly see-through as they pumped their little white stringy legs and moved around. Elrond sat next to him and peered curiously over the edge of the water.

"What are they?" Elrond asked softly in the darkening twilight, his natural elvish glow beginning to show in the shadows of night. They had never been on a beach with such low tide before, not even when they used to live by the sea with their mother and father, so they had never seen these before. Gil-Galad smiled pleasantly and promptly picked one up, showing it to them.

"They're baby jellyfish. Don't worry, they don't sting, at least not in this part of Middle-Earth. And anyways, they're too young to do any real damage." He slid a white, plump squishy ball into Elros's hand and another one into Elrond's. Elros furrowed his young, pale brow in thought as the night grew colder. They were quite odd looking things.He poked the creature with a tiny finger, watching it wriggle and squirm in his hands. Smiling slightly, the young elf poked it again. It wriggled viciously in response.

Gil-Galad bent down to the clear pool and set his free, watching it slink down into the water and then bolt away. Elrond also let his little white blob slide off his own tiny hand and it plunked loudly into the puddle. It then seemed to tut and swim away. Elros shrugged and just kept poking the creature until it finally didn't squirm anymore. His small brow furrowed and he pressed harder, hoping to get a response. Still nothing. The child frowned and clenched his fist around the puffy white jelly.

As his tiny hand squeezed harder the jellyfish bulged at the sides and popped, clear and cloudy innards spraying all over his hands. Some even hit Gil-Galad in the face, making the High King wince as he once again had to wipe his eyes. Elros giggled in delight at the unexpected reaction from the ball of goo, tiny hand reaching for another one. The dark haired Noldor hurriedly caught his hand before it could grasp another tiny life form and he pulled it back with a nervous laugh.

"Let's not kill the sea life. Cirdan will kill me in return," The High King said uneasily as he began to stand and dust off his already wet knees. The king just hoped Cirdan would forget about the plans they had tonight. Such as pouring over maps, signing paper work, reading documents and placing troops. Elros growled lowly at him for taking away his fun. Rotating his jaw in annoyance, he turned his attention to a small dark shell that was creeping his way.

"Ereinion Gil-Galad!" A voice boomed through the night air, sounding low and annoyed. It wasn't actually that loud, but with the tone of voice it might as well have been. Another elvish glow lit the area with a feeling of unease. Speak of the devil! A stone of sick dread dropped in the young king's stomach and Gil-Galad winced sharply. His body stiffened guiltily, face contorting painfully and his chest tightly constricting in fear. He sulkily turned towards the demeaning voice, still cringing like a naughty elfling.

Lord Cirdan stood stiffly not six feet away from them with his long sleeved arms crossed over his chest, a disapproving glare in his silver-grey eyes. His pale silver hair glinted in the white moonlight and contrasted deeply with his dark grey flowing robes. The powerful light of the Eldar emitting from him overpowered the one of the young inexperienced kings. It didn't make the situation any better for him. He shifted nervously underneath the demeaning stare and the sand crunched and scraped beneath his bare feet.

The ancient shipwright in front of him kept his stern facade and espied the young twin sons of Earendil. His glare deepened, they shouldn't be out here this late! It was way past their bedtime, not to mention it could be dangerous for little children this time of night. They could accidentally drown themselves or get lost at sea. The twins guiltily stood to attention, standing side by side with scared expressions on their pale, illuminated faces. They looked as if they thought he would kill them. They looked like cornered deer, almost as if this reminded them of something horrible.

The ancient Teleri's gaze softened when he saw them shaking where they stood, not just from the biting cold. They were not to be blamed, they were just children and were new to this kind of life. They also had a healthy respect for Gil-Galad and did whatever the king told them. Bad idea.

But they still wouldn't go within ten feet of the shipwright without acting as if they were in a war zone. They were always cautious and respectful, afraid that if they messed up they might be sent away. This was their new home for as long as they could tell and though they may not be comfortable in it, it was all they had. And it was precious to them.

"I'm not angry with you, Earendillions," he said softly to ease their fear, a pale hand gesturing that they leave them alone for a while. The twins immediately obeyed, running off in chase of a sea star.

"Ereinion?" Cirdan asked expectantly once the two were out of earshot, tapping his booted foot impatiently on the damp sandy ground. He saw the young Noldor wince at the use of that name. He knew the youth hated it, but he was inclined to call him that. He was the high king, no matter what depressing memories it brought back to the youth.

The Teleri couldn't help but raise both silver-white eyebrows at the king's appearance. He was caked from head to toe in course, yet silky, bright sand, hair practically turned shimmering white from it. His formal blue tunic and pants were probably ruined, being torn at the knees as if a mere child were wearing them. Sometimes that's what it felt like. The High King smiled sheepishly as he caught the sea elf's inquiring gaze.

"What?"

"You know perfectly well what. Where were you at the council meeting? The council was expecting you to be there, to be the responsible king that your father was." The shipwright shifted his weight onto his left foot, leaning in the opposite direction as he waited for an answer. The elf may be young, but he was a king and had to meet the requirements. He couldn't just slack off, no matter how young he was. The High King turned a shade of shamed pink at the comparison to his father and he shrunk in on himself, silver eyes moving to the floor. He could never match up to his father. That was impossible for anyone.

"I wanted to show the twins around." The young Noldor responded slowly with a meek expression, looking back up at the great sea elf in front of him. The elf that practically raised him, the only father he knew. The only father that wasn't just a fairy tale or a story with a sad ending. A stern and slow to love father figure who expected the best. At least that's how it seemed.

Through his whole life and childhood he had never been able to meet the Teleri's expectations, always being sloppy or late to meetings, not dressing right or not being able to sign his name correctly. He was a child to Cirdan, an elf far too young to be on the throne. That's all he was.

Cirdan glanced at him with slight surprise but kept firm, the growing dark of the world illuminating his face and body. The stars began to come out one by one, lighting the sky and reflecting the black flowing sea. It would have been beautiful if there wasn't a ticked off Cirdan in front of him. "You know you don't have time for that. You can't keep wandering off into the blue and disappearing when I need you. You can't keep slacking off from your duties, Ereinion."

The High King bit his full bottom lip in red shame, glancing worriedly back at the twins. He had wanted the sons of Ëarendil to like him and be his friends. He had wanted them to feel at home in this peaceful haven and not shy away from every elf they met. He wanted them to feel like they belonged and were loved, because they were. Had he failed at yet another one of his duties as king? Was he this much of a failure? His father would definitely not be proud of him, he was a stupid child after all. This just gave Cirdan and the elders of the council another reason to lecture him.

But when he look back at the two little brothers the scene made his jaw drop and his heart melt. He felt a flooding of warmth swarm through his heart and all throughout his body, causing him to smile with overwhelming emotion.

"Come, we need to go. You have five advisers who want to talk to you and three very large stacks of paper-work waiting for you." Cirdan's deep voice echoed behind him in a soft yet commanding tone. It was true that the shipwright was stern and sometimes cold, but he did it for a good reason. He had to make sure Ereinion was a good king. He had to make sure that the young Noldor understood his duties. The old sea elf had also seen the twins' reluctance to get close to anyone ever again. Not to mention their current discomfort in this place, and he had tried to make them comfortable also. He wasn't a complete killjoy.

Now for the first time ever —which made both royal elves jaws drop— the two children of Men and Elves were running around in the cold memory of the white light of the stars, shrieks of joyous laughter filling the still anonymous air. They had somehow dropped all their worries and scars, revealing the true innocence hiding beneath. Somehow they had learned to forget their past by the sea and just have fun. It was like a breath of fresh air. But how could they have accepted it so fast?

Elrond laughed loudly as he swooped like an eagle and grabbed a dead sand dollar right off the white sand. He jetted off in the direction where Elros had picked up a small brown and white shell and was looking at it carefully. Elrond couldn't stop himself when he reached a certain speed and he knocked right into his twin. They both fell to the floor in a fit of giggles. The two squirmed in the cold sand for a moment, giggles getting softer.

Then the two brothers suddenly stopped their laughing and joyous behavior and both their dark heads looked up to the dark sky, lit only by the bright lamps of Varda. Elros let a small sea slug fall limply from his small cold and pale hands, curling up closer to his little brother.

"Do you think Ada's watching over us?" Elrond asked in a small, timid yet hopeful voice, silver eyes shining with the hint of tears. Tears of memory. Memories they hadn't quite forgotten. They didn't even know if their father was up there, how were they supposed to have hope? Elros's brow wrinkled in sympathy and he squeezed his little brother's hand and smiled.

"I know he is," the older twin reassured him with a deep sense of conviction. The two sighed solemnly and climbed quietly to their feet, eyes still watching the silver stars. Yes, they couldn't remember their whole life before they were taken in by Maglor and Maedhros, but at last one thing was clear. They belonged here. They belonged with the sea. They wouldn't be harmed here, somehow they could feel it. The two smiled as they felt a massive weight lifted from their shoulders, their faces illuminated by something more than their elvish glows. Elrond glanced up just for a second, an even bigger grin lit his face. There in the sky was a star, bigger than the rest and it flared brightly. Their father was watching over them.

Gil-Galad's heart melted like butter and he almost cried himself, unshed tears shining in his silver eyes when he heard their conversation. They had been through so much, having seen their whole town burned and all their friends killed before their eyes. Yet they still hoped, they still maintained an innocence he would never understand.

After all that time and blood they may have been scarred and changed; but inside they somehow retained their old selves. Inside they were both still children. Innocent and loving children, gasping in awe at all the wonders of the world. The dark void and unforgiving night around them was instantaneously warmed and lightened, saved by the fragile and loving hope of a child. A hope that was foolproof and strong, a hope he only wished he had. A hope that would have saved him so much grief and despair. How could they have so much faith in a father that they'd never met, a father who was more of a fairy tale to them than Fingon was to himself? They hadn't even seen their father, yet they loved him and believed in him as if he had been with them their whole lives. If a child could have that much faith in a person they never knew, then why couldn't he? He had to have hope that he would end up being an honorable king. That he would not fail his own father. That even though Fingon wasn't here, he could still make him proud. With great warmth, the glistening star of Earendil flared once again, and this time even brighter, making itself known to all.

While the twins were talking, Cirdan had turned also to see them. The sea elf had listened also. But now they had thrown their cares away and were running and talking quietly in the pale moonlight. They laughed and continued to play like innocent elflings should. They looked as if they could be sea elves by blood. The Teleri almost smiled and stayed his earlier command. He settled into a comfortable stance and his posture became relaxed. The ancient shipwright who always acted as if he had a heart of stone, a heart that could never be moved, smiled sadly. How is it that such joy and such sorrow could meet and drive you mad with a sea of emotions, yet everyone loved it so much? That was a question in which he might never find the answer.

His steel grey eyes glinted in the starlight and he shifted again. He understood now. So he espied the young High King watching the twins with pride and happiness. He understood only too well. Walking silently to Gil-Galad's side, he placed a strong arm on his shoulder and squeezed it firmly with a thoughtful smile. Cirdan had never thought the day would come when the twins would actually adapt to their new home. A day when they would love their new parental figures and love the land they lived on. He was happy to say he was wrong. He was only too happy to see what Gil-Galad was up to.

And for once in a long period of a thousand years, Cirdan actually smiled at Gil-Galad. An almost proud smile, though the king didn't pay it much attention. He kept his eyes glued to the twins. Cirdan watched the elflings also as they went back to playing with the sea creatures, grabbing a conch from a puddle and shrieking as a small slimy foot whacked his tiny hand in surprise. Elrond giggled in delight and picked it up again, watching the tiny grey appendage flap around in confusion.

Maybe Gil-Galad would make a great king. For he could see the one trait that made his father before him and Fingon's father a great king. It was the ability to be a father. The ability to raise an heir that would be just as good a ruler as he himself. To teach them right from wrong and to love them. For once no words needed to be spoken between the two. The paper work could wait.

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 **A/N: What'd you think? I hope it wasn't too far off from cannon. I tried SO hard to stay true to the stories. But a Drip Castle is actually a thing. My dad and his cousins occupied most of their time with when they lived in Seattle. He taught my sister and I when we were on a beach in the Bahamas. R &R PLEASE! **


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